Death Is But the Next Great Adventure
by LittleRedLily
Summary: 'It's been fourteen years, and still not a day goes by that I don't miss your dad.' Fourteen cold, hard, long years after that horrible night in Godric's Hollow, Padfoot and Prongs finally get reunited, never to be torn so violently apart again.


- Death Is But the Next Great Adventure -

Sirius fell back onto the ground. It didn't hurt. He didn't feel a thing. He _couldn't_ feel a thing. He opened his eyes slowly and found himself in a seemingly never-ending white room. He got up slowly, casually flipping his hair out of his eyes. He expected pain, but no such feeling greeted him.

He slipped his hands into his pocket and loped with an easy grace. He didn't know where he was going; he walked on and on, but found the room really _was_ endless. A million questions sprang to mind at once - where was he? What was he doing? What was going to happen next?

Just then, company came to Sirius, company he had craved for fourteen, long, hard, difficult years; company that couldn't be found anywhere else on earth; company that he, Sirius Black, had desired when he was cold, hungry, alone, friendless … He knew they would meet again, but to have it sprung up on him so suddenly?

He wasn't prepared for a hammering heart. For once, words failed Sirius as he stared into the hazel eyes of his best friend, his brother. They had the same twinkle Sirius didn't realise he missed. He felt his heart ache and flip with joy at the same time, as he wordlessly ran into the arms of James Potter, practically tackling him.

'PRONGS!' Sirius shouted.

James chuckled, feeling his eyes water with the sorrow at being separated so long and the joy of being reunited once more.

Eventually, when the brothers broke up, Sirius embraced Lily, James's redheaded wife, who had become something of a younger sister to him before her untimely death. She, too, chuckled, and her eyes, too, watered, but she didn't try hiding it. Tears raced down her cheek. When Sirius let her go, he wiped them for her and turned to James.

'I'm so sorry,' he blurted, before James could say anything. 'It's all my fault, my fault entirely. I shouldn't've told you guys to switch Secret-Keepers. I'll understand if you never want to talk to me again —'

'Don't,' James cut across firmly, 'don't be sorry. Don't apologise. How were you to know who our traitor was? How were you to know this would happen?'

'That's not what I …' Sirius mumbled, looking down. 'If I hadn't done what I did, you two would've lived … you would've been amazing parents to Harry. The kid doesn't really know what parents' love is like, what family love is like. You should've all been given that chance. You and Lily should've been able to teach Harry Quidditch, make him his birthday cake, open his Hogwarts acceptance letter with him …'

'Silly,' sniffed Lily. 'We _did_ open his letter with him. We were never that far from you all, you know, even if you don't appreciate our presence.'

'Yeah,' said James. 'We were in Azkaban with you. We suffered alongside you. It wasn't easy seeing you like that, trust me. And knowing that Peter walked free, _knowing_ he was still alive …'

Lily rubbed his arm soothingly.

'There's still no reason for you to apologise,' said James. 'Padfoot, you _broke out of Azkaban_, moved from place to place, even _lived off rats_, practically all of it for our Harry. And tonight? You turned against orders and went to the Ministry for Harry and his friends. You practically died for Harry. Don't you _dare_ think, after all of that, you have something to apologise for. You were the best godfather Harry could've had.'

James and Sirius looked each other in the eye for a moment before the former embraced the latter in a one-armed hug.

'So, what're we doing here?' Sirius asked when he was freed, his voice slightly strained with emotion.

'Waiting for Remus to die,' said James casually. 'Joking, Lil, joking,' he added hastily as his wife flinched.

'That'd be horrible right now,' said Lily. 'I think that girl Tonks has a crush on him.'

Sirius gaped at her. '_Tonks_? Likes _Moony_? I'm gonna sound like such a witch, but you have to tell me everything I don't know! I can't believe I won't get to tease him even once about this …'

Neither Lily nor James were surprised; it was so like Sirius — after everything he had been through that night, all he wanted to talk about were things he could tease his friends. This was hardly the end. It was a new adventure, and Sirius couldn't wait to watch it unfold.


End file.
